Inspiration for Spark of Opal

Coober Pedy

In March 1967, Mavis set off to spend several months in Coober Pedy with her brother
Bob, a recent widower.

In the early days of Coober Pedy, where temperatures can exceed 120°F,
all residents lived underground in "dugouts" - homes literally dug out
of the ground. As the family expanded, another room was excavated.

By 1967 air-conditioning and desalination of artesian water had improved the
living conditions in Coober Pedy and the population had soared. Above-ground homes
had begun to appear and tourism was beginning to boom.

Mavis and Bob made their home in a tin shed, the size of a garage. There was no
roof and the warped door refused to close. A grey blanket separated the stretcher beds -
Mavis read at night by kerosene lamp.

Being eight years younger, Mavis deferred to her brother:

"It was now decided by Bob that the box of 100 sticks
of gelignite would be placed under my bed because beneath it was the
most empty floor space available. I did not object. I did not doubt
that my brother, as an amateur gem hunter, knew the vagaries of gelignite.
But it seemed that an amateur gem hunter is not an opal miner. For nights
I slept with that box of gelignite under my body, until someone told
us what gelignite could do if it sweated."

- Trust the Dream (1999) page 198.

Even in this harsh land of temperature extremes and isolation, Mavis found
beauty.

"On the flat were the mounds and bubbles of abandoned workings. Most
of these clustered together wherever there had been a strike. A few, scattered
and lonely, were evidence of a man's hope and disappointment. They were
painted in soft pastels: pinks, mauves, yellows. In the distance the Breakaways
looked blue, sometimes purple, the sky varied from pale wash to a wash-bag
blue, or was as opal-like as the gem. Even the dust at morning and evening
raised by the men's vehicles driving to and from work added to the natural
beauty. If the air was still, delicate waves of dust, like coloured ribbon,
lay across the flat. There was no harshness at this time of the year,
just a gentleness of colour. But there was one colour missing in the
Coober Pedy landscape; it was the colour green..."

- Trust the Dream (1999) pages 195-196.

"A hole or a shaft may be put down where a miner choses, provided that
the spot has not already been pegged out by someone else. We chose a
spot. We worked with spade and pick and crowbar..."

- Trust the Dream (1999) page 198.

"Many holes were dug; there was much sweat and toil. We learnt
from our experiences about the ways of mining opal; but only enough
colour was found to lure us on."

- Trust the Dream (1999) page 199.

"Bob said it was time to blast the hole deeper. A plug of gelignite
was put in the centre of the hole and one at each corner. The metre-long
fuse was lit, the fuse igniting with a hiss that sounded malevolent.
We sprinted to a safe distance.

"Count your charges - make sure all go off," an old-timer had warned.
One...two...three...four... But no fifth. No fifth! We waited. No fifth...
My brother said: "I'll have to find it...those Aborigines..."

Yes, the charge had to be found. A small group of Aborigines, five or
so, had shown interest in our doings, even offered to lead us to a more
likely area in which to sink our hole. They were not in sight at this
moment, but they could return...or anyone...and walk into that hidden
trap."